Hey Matthew and kmac530, here is 31streetrod's 31 street rod

[53k]

Ron asked me to go ahead and post some pictures. I posted yesterday on th existing thread "engine conversion kits", but it got buried so deep that I didn't know if you saw it. And. it's such a great car that it probably deserves its own thread anyhow.
On Monday I'm going to meet Ron to see a pretty sensational '54 coupe custom that he and his old buddy Jimmy Porterfield are working on. It has a "different" engine, a McClaren 4.6. BTW, Jimmy is the son of the former Studebaker dealer in Martinsburg, WV. I'll post a report after the visit.

[mbstude]

That's my kind of hot rod. I almost regret asking for photos. Now I'm just jealous.

[kmac530]

Very nice, I have never seen that motor before, now you just gave me some home work to do researching that interesting motor.
Anyone know more about it? McClaren is that like the Mercedes Formula 1 race team? As in Bruce "McLaren"? His Can-Am cars were incredibly cool.

That motor looks like it has 2 valve covers on it. Very different. It says Buick on the upper section, like a nailhead, but I do not recall that lower finned section on a standard nail head? Maybe I just have not seen enough of them in open engine compartments.

[mbstude]

Very nice, I have never seen that motor before, now you just gave me some home work to do researching that interesting motor.
Anyone know more about it? McClaren is that like the Mercedes Formula 1 race team? As in Bruce "McLaren"? His Can-Am cars were incredibly cool.

That motor looks like it has 2 valve covers on it. Very different.

Ron's '31 roadster has a Nailhead.

[kmac530]

I looked at bunch on line and it has some kind of finned spark plug and plug wire covers on it. That is what was throwing me I guess, They seem pretty common, but my dad's Nailheads have never had them on his motors. I had never seen them up close.
Nice looking motor and beautiful car.

[aarrggh]

I wonder what motor is in that " Matador " . . ( rolling eyes smiley here ) .

[53k]

Ron's '31 roadster has a Nailhead.

Correct. I don't know much about nailheads. Ron will probably pick up on this thread and add some good info.
He bought this car as a finished rod, but decided he didn't like a lot of things so he completely re-did the car. Maybe some of you remember his transformation of a '59 Lark VI two-door to a fire-breathing 289-powered custom a few years back.

[Pat Skelly]

I looked at bunch on line and it has some kind of finned spark plug and plug wire covers on it. That is what was throwing me I guess, They seem pretty common, but my dad's Nailheads have never had them on his motors. I had never seen them up close.
Nice looking motor and beautiful car.

The finned wire covers are Buick, and will fit a Stude V-8. Rick Courtier had a set of them on his C cab.

[drew72mgb]

That's my kind of hot rod. I almost regret asking for photos. Now I'm just jealous.

That is just too sweet. You don't see too many non-Ford high boys, but that is a nice one. I only hope they cut up a totally non-restorable 'hulk' to build it. Better to see any kind of car hot rodded, than crushed!

Beautiful!

I liked the Lark, too! That is closer to my vision, albeit - I want a 1963....


Drew

[rockinhawk]

I guessing AMC 360 with a B/W FOM(Flash-O-Matic) behind it.

I wonder what motor is in that " Matador " . . ( rolling eyes smiley here ) .

[53k]

Very nice, I have never seen that motor before, now you just gave me some home work to do researching that interesting motor.
Anyone know more about it? McClaren is that like the Mercedes Formula 1 race team? As in Bruce "McLaren"? His Can-Am cars were incredibly cool.

That motor looks like it has 2 valve covers on it. Very different. It says Buick on the upper section, like a nailhead, but I do not recall that lower finned section on a standard nail head? Maybe I just have not seen enough of them in open engine compartments.

I'm pretty much a dummy when it comes to special engines. I will learn a lot when I see the '54 custom, but the engine is a 4.6 liter Ford V-8 as used in McLarens.

[showbizkid]

That is one righteous ride! To echo Drew's note, it's very rare to see this kind of style applied to something other than a Model B of some variety. Cool stuff!

[studerex]

Did that start life as a 31 Coupe. Studebaker used that body is 29 and 30 as a cabriolet and 31 as a coupe. If it was a 31 president coupe I can see Quinn shaking his head.

[kmac530]

I'm pretty much a dummy when it comes to special engines. I will learn a lot when I see the '54 custom, but the engine is a 4.6 liter Ford V-8 as used in McLarens.

Wierd that a 4.6L ford McLaren has Buick nailhead valve covers on it....printed right there on the side of the VC's.
After I looked closer and determined those were plug wire covers, the nailhead became pretty obvious.
Is it possible it HAD a 4.6L ford motor in it before and he swapped it out now to this NH, or that these are old pics from before he installed the 4.6L ford?
Because those pics ARE Buick for sure.

[31Streetrod]

kmac, the engine in the 31 is a 1965 401 ci Buick nailhead. The 4.6, 4 valve Ford engine is what we are installing in the 54 custom that we are in the process of building.